motorchrome

Sorry for the break

2007-01-15T16:57:00.000-05:00

I have not posted since September. Yes, I know I am lazy. There is just too much to post about, it makes my head hurt. I plan to scale this site down and post mainly about the world of BMWs and automotive products and gadgetry that I have the pleasure of owning or using.

Bye.

Shocking V-Dub Microbus

2006-09-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

I ran across this article at Edmunds Inside Line about a 1964 Volkswagen Microbus that had been converted into electric as well as being treated to a host of other updates including keyless entry, LED lights, and what apears to be a really cool nav screen incorporated into the speedometer (it is kind of like a Chrysler Pacifica only so retro I feel a little stoned). As a general rule, I go for sporty cars or quirky/technology showcase cars - this obviously being one of the latter. It really is a cool update to a classic.

The project was a joint (get it) effort between The Volkswager Electronics Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, CA and Hybrid Technlogies. I have always had a thing for the VW bus, especially in 23 window delux trim. Then I awake from a frightening dream of merging into traffic from an on-ramp counting down through the 20-odd second trip to 60-mph.

A Company of Bad Ideas

2006-08-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

I read this morning on Autoblog that BMW is dropping what has to be one of the most storied and appropriate taglines ever created for a automobile brand: "BMW. The Ultimate Driving Machine". In its place, we now will be looking to buy our 3ers from "A Company of Ideas". A company of ideas? Duh! As if BMW had to ever make a statement to ensure anyone that they had original thoughts. This has to rank up there with 'The Caddy that Ziggs" or maybe the Edsel. Kenmore is a "Company of Ideas" too - they make an awesome convection oven. What I am more afraid of is that is signaling a changing wind at BMW. I can get past some of the strange Chris Bangle designs, overlook the foray into SUVs, and even secretly like the iDrive. The one thing, though, that I depend on like my alarm clock is that BMW is the go-to guy for the benchmark in sporty driving dynamics. Benchmark sport sedans sounds like only a coincidence for a company with moto like "A Company of Ideas".

This morning I wrote BMW USA a letter. I am sure I will get some type of automated response thanking me for my interest and telling me to have a Teutonic day. Part of me still holds hope that they will tell me that this is all a strange joke - like some Sprockets skit gone awry.

"To whom it may concern:

I just read the rumor this morning that BMW will abandon one of the longest lived and most appropriate tagline in the history of automobiles - "The Ultimate Driving Machine". As a BMW owner, I must say that I am truly disappointed in the company. The new "Company of Ideas" could just as well be selling me a washing machine or maybe an electric belt sander. The willingness to abandon something that was a direct statement about the intent and soul of the cars you sell tells me that perhaps your focus has changed. This is a true shame and I hope I fear that this is the mouth of a dark path that will send me looking somewhere else for my "Ultimate Driving Machine". "

Weekend at Bernies

2006-06-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

Gosh darn, I hate it when this happens. Apparantly a 19-year old Detroit girl found a body wedged up in her undercarriage (not in a good way, if you know what I'm sayin'), making it difficult to steer. Difficult to steer? You think? Anyway, she is not going to jail because the body had alread been hit. I guess no one is concerned about the fact that we have a 19 year old girl that is driving around that hit a 43-year old corpse and does not really recall it.

Chec out the insanity here.

Why does Mitsubishi suck?

2006-06-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a little tidbit of information that I was surprise to find that most people do not know. You know that symbol? The three diamonds? That is a propeller, folks. Yep, you and Troy McClure might remeber Mistubishi from such films as "The Zero Fighter Plane Attacks Pearl Harbor" and "Kamikaze:Too Young to Die?". Mistubishi, the one and only.
Mitsubishi used to be a force in the budding sport compact craze in the 80's. The early Eclipses, particularly in turbo charged/AWD for were tremendous cars in most regards. Unfortunately they became characatures of themselves with giant hoop-style wings. Then they became emasculated V6 cruisers with little sporting potential. The flat-spin that was created meant that no one bought the blah cars and there was no money to sink into improving them. It always seems to me that the vehicles in any given class are about a generation behind the competitors - even the American car companies. Couple that with the fact that DaimlerChrysler (Chrysler has a long standing parternship with Mitsubishi) has all but retreated. The rally-bred Mistsubishi Lancer Evo VIII is the only stand-out car these days - and only for the fact that it is just a demonic terror on the road. It's sheer brute force overshadows any other shortcomings.

I was trying to think of some positive things that they have done over the years, and one little-known car comes to mind. The 3000GT was a great sports car in AWD/turbo form. Few know, however, the Mitsubishi was one of the pioneers in the now chic folding-hardtop game. The Mitsu 300GT VR-4 Spyder was one of the very first. It was a good looking car too. In fact, the spyder is probably my favorite Mitsubishi product of all time (even beating the Zero) and would be a dark-horse if I went on a senseless used car buying frenzy. It was definitely exotic even by today's standards. It featured 320 HP, all wheel drive, all wheel steering, adjustable suspension and featured the previously mentioned a one-button retractable hard top convertible make the Spyder a world-class exotic.Check some pictures below and more about the car at this site:

Scottish Navigation Hooligans

2006-06-14T23:17:00.000-05:00

My friend uncle Renndog sent me an interesting little tutorial on how to hack the Honda/Acura Alpine-based navigation system, allowing it to display custom images. While this may be of little utility to many, there are a select few out there that have been asking themselves "how do I get a picture of myself in a kilt to my nav system". One would also presume other images can be used, such as you in a garter or maybe a full gimp suit. One can dream.
My next car may in fact be a honda product just so I can do this. If you are one of the four people reading this and have a Honda navigation system (and a killer sense of style), check out this page.

Lovely

2006-06-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

You might be a German Redneck (roter Hals?) if...

Oh Snap!

2006-04-25T15:06:00.000-05:00

Thems fighten' words. Subaru just introduced a new ad that pokes fun at the VW GTI 'Fast' ads (not the ones with the Sprockets guy, the ones with the the maniacal rabbit thing). Correct me if I am worng, but since when is a GTI and an STi in the same league anyway? The Subaru Impreza STi is a seriously fast car. It is also a seriously ugly car. I think if I owned one and drove it to work, I would hear laughing about two bolcks out on my approach. I would gladly trade a couple of those 0-60 seconds for something that did not look like it had an ironing board attached to the trunk. On the flipside, the GTI can almost pass for a fun adult car, particularly in the upcoming four door trim.

Subaru continues to make a push upmarket. The current Legacy has made great strides, but still falls short in many of the details and equipment offerings. That is all Kool and the Gang, but the STi is a different animal and should really only be compared to other fire-breathing ralley car derivitives like the Lancer Evo.

iPod my BMW!!!!

2006-04-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

Oh, wait...I don't have a BMW. Yet. My precious....

BMW just announced their second generation iPod adapter, showing continued commintment to hooking in the most prevelant personal music device. MP3 playa-haters will no doubt continue to take objection to the general flocking to all things iPod, but when you're hot you're hot. This second generation interface allows complete control through steering wheel controls and, here is the money shot - ID3 tag support on the display. The previous version would just display track 1,2,3, and so on. Read about all the hot BMW-on-Apple action here.

While on the subject, there is a whole group of people that get really worked up into a snot-blowing tantrum over the success of the iPod. I have even seen people suggest that it is a monopoly of sorts. I am not sure what dictionary these pinko/retards have been reading (is that a pinkotard?), but that is business. Apple can link its iPod to its music store until the end of time. If it is the better product, people will buy it. If it is not, the house of cards will fall. As of now, though, they seem to have the magic formula.

Oh, and BMWs can also be equipped with standard aux-in ports. Take that pinkotards!

Rash of Broken Turnsignals in D.C. Area

2006-03-28T13:05:00.000-05:00

Here it comes. The occasional rant. I am driving to work this moring watching this booger-picking Asian dude in a really classy Oldsmobile Alero recklessly changing lanes probably a total of ten times. I say booger-picking Asian not as a racial attack. Simply put, the man was Asian and picking his nose. I mean really digging for gold. Maybe this was the reason that he did not once use his signal to indicate a lane change.

For the love of all things holy - where do you people take your driving classes/exams? Is there an alternate test that I am not aware of? The one I took years ago was very explicit on signal usage. Maybe it is that all of you assclowns just don't care. I don't know what is worse either - the self-important d-bag who is too busy on his phone to take part in the activity of driving or the guy or gal that just simply stares straight ahead, seemingly unaware of the dangerous faux pas. Either way, when you try to change lanes into the same lane that I am moving into, but without your blinker ... well, your move doesn't count in my book. Fortunately I tend to remain alert when I drive and put my lipstick on before the car starts moving, so I usually see the specimen furtively drifting across lanes. This illustrates the danger though; what if I weren't paying attention? Well...we would crash.

I tried to indicate the booger-picker that he should use his signals when he changed lanes, but unfortunately I think I just looked like a silverback gorilla from the zoo doing some type of mating/alpha-male display. Where are my LED spinners when I need them!

Time to Floss my Sh*t

2006-03-27T17:15:00.000-05:00

People continue to amaze me. If you are ready to take your ride to a new level of idiocy, check out the PimpStars. I am sure they only weigh 120 lbs. a piece, which does wonders for suspension components, ride, and handling. Assclowns across the country have been defying logic for several years now, ruining their cars in the name of "looking cool".

These new wheels get me thinking, though. Hmmmmm.....a new way to communicate with other drivers. I wonder if I could program these things on the fly? Just off the top of my head, here are a few short little snippits I might slap on my dubs:

1. USE UR SIGNALS!
2. BANDANAS R COOL
3. G.E.D WASNT B.I.G.
4. MOVE B4 I RAM U
5. STEAMING POS

If you read my earlier post on the my Lexus GS 300 and the things that people do to them, you will realize what the fate of my car is.

Yakuza

2006-03-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

I ran across a short article on Edmunds Inside Line about the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate and their car culture. It is a shame that the article is so short, because I think it is fascinating to understand what are the "go-to" vehicles when this type of organization wants to send a message. Apparantly Mercedes Benz gets the nod over in Japan, which is not totally surprising seeing as the German car marques are still considered top dog over there, and the Japanese luxury brands barely exist (a strange comment in the article refers to the Lexus LS, which has only recently been sold under that name - previously it was the Toyota Crowne).

I am not sure I totally understand the fascination with the Yakuza. Seth Cohen from the O.C. seems to like them, so I guess I am in. They certainly looked fun in Kill Bill - kind of like a roving motorcylce gang of Katos.

More about the Yakuza here.

Let's Roll

2006-03-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

I have always had a soft spot for Volvo's. The movie Crazy People, starring the late hobbit Dudley Moore, featured a fictitious ad campaign that summed it up nicely: "Volvo. They're boxy but good." Very true. I or my family has owned about a half dozen Volvos, most of them the 200 series. Unassuming cars, but built like tanks and full of little innovations that were well ahead of their time. I guess it takes a certain person to really understand the value of good engineering. Some people's cranks just don't get turned by it. I was trying to explain this to a co-worker of mine who falls into this category. "Volvo's are just...boring" he proclaimed, while adjusting the seat of his gold Chrysler Sebring, the ultimate Thrifty Del Boca Vista cruiser. Yeah...Volvos are boring. Is it just me, or do the interiors of Sebrings smell like impending death?

They're boxy but good. Well, maybe Volvos are not that boxy anymore. They are still good though. In sharp contrast to GM and SAAB, Ford has left Volvo alone for the most part and they are doing better than ever. In this spirit, I thought it appropriate to provide a little history lesson on the nave 'Volvo'. Having studied Latin, I have known for a long time that Volvo meant "I roll". The significance of this name is that Volvo was once a ball-bearing company. Get it? The Volvo symbol, which some mistake for the male symbol so shagadiciously featured in the Austin Powers films, is really the symbol for iron ore, again tying back to the ball bearing manufacture. Anyway, Volvo has decided to return to their roots and more prominently feature the symbol front and center on the grills of their not-so-boxy-but-still-good cars. Check out the full story here, as well as other fun Volvo stuff at Sweedespeed.

On Patrol

2006-03-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

Here is more navigation news. I am a total whore for it. TomTom released news on updated features for its new 910 and 510 models. One of these features is called "Buddies" and allows you to see, in real-time, where your friends are. This sounds pretty cool, and I sure do like gadgetry in all its forms - but I can't help but wonder what this technology would lead to. I think it would be cool for saying "Hey, Lavar is down the street over at Eastern Motors. I will give him a ring and we can go grab some Indian buffet". I could also see this: "MegMeg is at the Shoppers Food with her new boyfriend BillBill and I am going to drive through the f'ing front door of the place and..." (well, you get the picture). Granted, I assume that both parties would need to a) have a Garmin 910 or 510 GPS unit and b) have mutual agreement that they are on each other's "buddy lists". Here is my real prediction - the annoying street-racer crowd will use these to meet up "Need for Speed:Undergound" style and duke it out with their giant-wing-sporting Civic DXs and Tiburons.

None the less, it is interesting to see what types of technology these folks keep packing into these devices. The price is right for this feature too - free.

Are Manual Transmissions an Endangered Species?

2006-02-26T13:17:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, I have the opportunity to drive a new Audi A3 equipped with Volkswagen Auto Group's revolutionary Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG). Sweet Jesus, was it neat. Pull the trigger paddle on the wheel and the damned thing ripped off a perfectly timed, very fast, and appropriately firm shift. I think I drive stick pretty well ...but not this well. As an added bonus, when I hit some traffic, I slid it into the 'Automatic' program and it behaved pretty much like a regular old automatic transmission.

For the sake of simplicity, the DSG operates like a stick shift, but with a computer system running the clutch pedal - resulting in perfrctly timed shifts. Nothing new you say? Your Chrysler Sebring has that (they call it 'autostick')? Not quite. Many automatic transmissions offer 'manual' control over shifts, and the uninitiated will likely not understand the difference between those and the DSG (or similar systems). Those transmissions are still, at their heart, an automatic transmission, torque converter and all. Still confused? Most of the people I try to explain it to are, which leads me to believe that I am not making a lick of sense or they are busy staring at my unruly nose hair. Robert Farago, from 'The Truth About Cars', wrote up a little article that does a great job of explaining. Robert Farago, incidently, writes pretty good editorials - although I still can't figure out what his ideal car is considering he usually can come up with lots of negatives on any car reviewed. None the less, The Truth About Cars is a great read and I highly reccomend it.

Do I think that this new breed of transmission will render the classic manual transmission obsolete? Yes, I do believe it - but not anytime soon. There is still something magical about being able to perfectly manipulate a manual gearbox through the gate. The DSG has little to be sorry for, though - and, as someone who deals with Washington D.C. traffic, I would be thankful for the availability of an automatic mode every once in a while too.

You should not own a BMW if...

2006-02-24T17:54:00.000-05:00

...you feel that you are somehow empowered to stick M3 badges all over your 318. Or if you have convinced yourself that BMW made an M5 wagon. Or if you think you have a better handle on the aerodynamic needs of a Bavarian autobahn stormer than the folks who birthed the beast.

A BMW Motorsport Division vehicle is a serious thing, and you are not fooling anybody. Seriously folks, what are you thinking. I want to vomit everytime I see a fine German auto treated this way. It should be illegal for companies to even create clear "Altezza" lights for a BMW. Furthermore, there is not a legit aftermarket accessory made for a BMW that can be picked up at your local AutoZone. I don't even know what else to say. I am embarrassed for all of you and can only hope you are sterile.

Check out this great page where no-talent ass-clowns go to swap fluids. The site, which is stocked full of BMW nightmares, has been around a while. I was reminded of it through Jalopnik. May God have mercy on you all.

People are Stupid

2006-02-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

My Dad once told me that the world is full of a$$holes. Apparantly they peddle their merchandise on ebay. I was alerted to this fire-sale via Jalopnik this morning. Some no-talent ass clown has created a right-hand drive conversion by hooking up a system of pulleys for the steering wheel and levers for the pedals. Something tells me that my local Exxon would have trouble passing this through the safety inspection. If you act quick, you too can own the scariest vehicle known to man. Check out the ebay auction here.

Navigation is the coolest gadget ever!

2006-02-06T14:38:00.000-05:00

I am a gadget freak. I love toys. I am not afraid of them. I actually use them and take time to understand them. Cars these days certainly do feed the gadget hunger that burns deep inside my belly (or maybe that is a tape worm). Relatively mainstream cars can be had with high-end audio systems, trip computers with fancy information displays, bluetooth hands-free phone systems, satelite radio, adaptive xenon headlights, cooling and heating for my ass, and - my favorite - navigation systems. Some codgers out there argue that this is an overpriced solution for a $2 map. While I can read and understand a map, I cannot safely do so while driving. Besides looking cool, a nav system could be really handy for finding your way around a traffic jam or getting out of a spot when you are turned around. I would also consider it a relationship saver - without giving specific call-outs, I will say that I have had co-pilots/navigators that needed an intel-sized bump in processing throughput. I think the investment pays for itself based on arguments avoided.

While Tom Tom and Garmin make affordable aftermarket solutions, I still have to say that the integrated systems seem to be the best thought out. For one thing, I do not have to worry about taking my portable unit down of the dash everytime I park. They remove snaking wires waterfalling of the dashboard. Factory systems are typically very well integrated into other car systems such as audio and lighting. I have always thought that the Apline-based Acura systems were the best executed, followed by the Fujitsu/Denso Lexus units. That may change. Google and VW are apparantly working on a collaborative effort to integrate Google Map functionality into a navigation system. How awesome is that! Imgaine being able so see the topography in true photograph form. This is definitely something to watch and is just one more step in Google's neverending quest to rule the world and eventually imprison me in a matrix-style cocoon where my life-force will be harvested to power Google servers.

Hybrid Myths

2006-02-03T01:08:00.000-05:00

Gas-electric hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular. Toyota still has waiting lists for the ground-breaking Prius and other car makers are trying to get in the game fast. Nissan is set to introduce a hybrid Altima in the coming model year, and GM is even planning on introducing hybrid SUVs (as in take-all-your-Mormon-kids-to-the-trampoline-store Tahoe/Suburbans as well as a hybrid Saturn Vue "Green Line").

It seems that there are two schools of thought with hybrid cars: 1) use hybrid technology to get maximum mileage (as in the Prius), or 2) use the electric motor, and the accompanying deep reserves of instant-on torque, to boost performance (as in the Accord hybrid or several other Toyota/Lexus applications like the Highlander or upcoming Lexus GS450h). There may be a third take as well, which is somewhere in the middle. This is the most sensible approach. The new Camry, for all it's creamy bland center goodness, will offer a hybrid model slotting between the base 4 banger and V6 models in both performance and price. Genius.

With all of the options and approachs discussed above, it is not hard to see how folks are confused (and we have not even started talking about the cost/benefit analysis). I have heard misguided discussion around my office hallways talking about battery explosions, longevity, and EMT personnel not being able to rescue individuals trapped in a hybrid car. BusinessWeek does a pretty good job of revealing the Top Ten Hybrid Myths. They hit all the major points, even if a couple are pretty obvious.

Those boots were made for walkin'

2006-01-27T21:29:00.000-05:00

Ford Motor Company recently proposed a policy that dictates that employees working at the Dearborn facility who do not drive a Ford vehicle will not be allowed to park in the main employee parking lot. Employees can park any Ford-family car in the lot - so those union clowns can park their Aston Martins and Jags up close and personal. Anyone else better bring snow boots, because they will be parking a half-mile away in a secondary lot.

I applaud this move. If you work for Ford, you should have enough pride and confidence in the product you are supporting to own it. What kind of message does it send if someone works for Ford and drives a Honda. Ok - maybe if you did not factor in the discount that employees get, you could make a convincing argument that Honda makes a better car. That does not matter in my eyes. If the employees are not supportive of the company they work for... well, I think they are getting off easy with an extra exercise requirement.

Hop in the GS3, got chronic by the tree...

2006-01-25T16:04:00.000-05:00

I have been toying with the idea of getting rid of my car. My GS 300 has 151k miles on it, and I am starting to think it will not have much value or will be hard to sell as the mileage gets high. Then, the other day when I was driving back from the Washington D.C. Navy Yard, a similar vintage GS as mine drove past me. This thing had a gigantic spoiler on the back, a 'body kit' that appeared to be hand-painted with the cheapest brush available from Home Depot, a couple mobile phone sytle antennae on the rear window, and some serious 'dubs. It also had the requisite TV screens in the rear headrests. I am not sure who these are for. A movie (maybe Scarface) was playing - but the car only had a driver. Upon further research on AutoTrader, I came to the conclusion that my car might always have some bling-appeal for the $100 Hood-rats that could care less about the mileage - just as long as they can fit 20" rims on it and it was featured in a rap video (for the uninitiated, reference was made to the GS3 in the 1994 Notorious B.I.G. album, Ready to Die). Here is another pic of a local GS... it is absolutely disgusting what some people can do to ruin a classy car.

Agghhh....I'm blind!!!

2006-01-22T22:46:00.000-05:00

I guess it is thing that American drivers are just not able to understand. Fog lights are designed to increase visibility during fog and/or other inclement weather. There are two flavors of fog lights - front and rear. The front ones are for you, the drivers, to use to better pilot your sled. The rear fog light(s) are designed to increase the distance that a following driver will be able to see your car in the nasty stuff. You know - so as not to unexpectedly plow through the back of your car at high speed. Rear fog lights are fairly rare and seem to be a European tradition. To my knowledge, the only manufacturers to equip U.S. bound cars with rear fog lights are Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes Benz. Some cars have two in the rear, while others have one. If the car has only one light, it is situated on the passing side of the car.

As I drove home the other [crystal clear] night behind some fool in a A4 1.8T, I noticed that he had ALL fog lights blazin'. I guess, with all those lights on, he was going for that "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" look or something. I am not sure. I did not have too much time to get into his head because the HAL-like beam that was shooting out of the rear of his car was searing my retina. To accomplish the mission stated above, rear fog lights are basically pointed straight out. They are much brighter than even brake lights. This is where the searing comes in.

I will admit that front fog lights add an air of sportiness and are generally non-offensive, but this is not the case with the rear lights. I wonder why people would do this. Is it to irritate people? Maybe people just do not understand what they are for. Surely you don't read your owner's manuals. Maybe you had a seizure in your car and just started mashing buttons? Whatever the reason, please, for those of us driving behind your uber-cool ride - turn your fog lights off!

Click as hard as you like, bad boy!

2006-01-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

Mini Cooper has just come out with a pretty edgey ad-campaign featuring a fetching leather-clad dominatrix explaining how the the mini will whip icey road and how the rubber (tires) create pleasurable friction. I just had to shut my office door for about ten minutes.

You can click is hard as you like, she says, but everytime you enter the site you are given a "safe word". Mine was anit-lock. Oh my! Check it out at Mini.ca.

Some may scoff at clever ads, saying that no one buys a car because of the advertising. While I would not buy a POS, I would at least pay attention to the ad. VW, both recently and long ago, had great ads. So does Mini. If those ads generate buzz, then they are succeding.

I found out about this campaign through Autoblog, another great automovive blog. Check them out.

That's got to hurt

2006-01-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

I really hate it when that happens. What do you think hurts worse - his ego or his wallet? I guess it is better to take your Lamborghini airborn through a fence than to die.

Check out more no-talent ass clowns on Wrecked Exotics.

burble burble

2006-01-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

Is this the '60s muscle car renaissance? While Pontiac has had tepid response to its Nuevo GTO, Ford has hit one out of the park with its redesigned Mustang - solid rear axel and all. Looking to cash in on the stompin' V8 retro-glory, both Daimler-Chrysler and the General have introduced concepts of their own: enter the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro nameplate is undoubtedly the more illustrious of the two new potential contenders, but GM has had an on-again/off-again commitment to developing a new RWD architecture for US consumption. Who knows if and when a new Camaro could materialize? The Dodge, on the other hand, is far more likely as it is built on the exiting LX platform (think 300, Magnum, Charger) and, well, the boys over at Daimler-Chrysler have a history of following through with production cars that are very close to the concepts. Plymouth Prowler anyone? Then again, the Challenger was never a wave-maker on the musclecar scene. While the fist couple years were beasts, the car arrived too late in the game and was quickly strangled by mounting emissions requirements. Few were sold, which is what leads to the stratospheric auction prices for Hemi Challengers/Barracudas.

I have a more basic question, though. Is there room for all these choices? While the boys from Michigan want to relive their golden years, I fear that there is an element that needs to be considered here. Once upon a time, a Mustang coupe was the 'it' car for a young (maybe urban, maybe not) professional, and Americans bought American cars. Now, I can tell you as much as I want that I am only interested in the car itself and not the image, but around my neck of the consulting-woods, "Camaro" is not necessarily the eye-on-the-corner-office car I would choose. My slower cousin is wanted for stealing a Camaro if that tells you anything. Will there be a built-in Skoal holder? If I had to choose, I am going jet-black Challenger all the way - but I am not sure I would put this above, say, a BMW 3 Series or Infiniti G35. They are different cars for sure. They have different images too. It is most certainly a different time. Can these muscle coupes make American cars 'cool' again?

Revolutions Per Minute

2006-01-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

I want to be positive. Seriously. I really do. I have to admit, though, that I will [ocassionally] use this blog as a venue for my ranting. I do not want to start off that way, but there is something I have to set straight right now.

The acronym 'RPM' means 'Revolutions Per Minute'. Take a minute to notice that the plural is already built into that first word there. Take two minutes if you like. This is NOT up for debate.

I have seen many so-called 'enthusiasts' spout about this and that, and talk about their running at X 1000 RPMs. If you are tracking along so far, you would assume that this means 'Revolutions Per Minutes'. Good grief Charlie Brown. I pity the fool who has to do that calculation. How many revolutions and how many minutes are we dealing with? I personally like to cruise at about 6,000 RPMs in my car. Sound high, you say? Not at all. That is only 3,000 revolutions every two minutes. If you have crazy math skills (as opposed to nun-chuck skills or computer hacking skills) you will see that there are too many variables.

The saddest part of all of this is that I see "professional" writers make this mistake. We are not talking about Better Homes & Gardens either. The chief editor over at Sports Car International, Gustafson if I remember correctly, has put this down in print himelf. How embarassing for him.

To recap, there is only one way to discuss engine speed - and that is by RPM.

So what does it mean?

2006-01-17T14:45:00.000-05:00

When I was very young, my father tried to teach me how to say the word "motorcycle". We did this phonetically - he would instruct me to say "motor" and then "cycle", and I would respond in kind with "motor" and "cycle". When asked to put them together, however, I would respond with only one non-sensical word - "motorchrome!". "MOTORCHROME, MOTORCHROME, MOTORCHROME !!!". We would start over and over, with familiar results each time unit the dance with anger ended. Was this a game meant only to frustrate my father? The world may never know.